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In 2022, students from Muyskens' lab presented their research at a poster fair at Michigan State University. (From left to right): Lauren Timmer, Andrea Van Engen - Ver Beek, Leah Knoor, Jonathan Holdrige, Isaac Jonker, and Mark Muyskens.

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Mark Muyskens

150 years later: ��Ƶ students continue a scientific legacy rooted in Grand Rapids

msk23@calvin.edu — Tue, 23 Jun 2026 18:46:41 +0000

150 years later: ��Ƶ students continue a scientific legacy rooted in Grand Rapids msk23@calvin.edu Tue, 06/23/2026 - 14:46

In a quiet wetland at a Kent County park this summer, a group of ��Ƶ students stood with sopping wet boots, swatting mosquitoes and carefully documenting a plant few people had ever noticed.

What they discovered was extraordinary.

The species, an extremely rare aquatic grass, was previously known from just one location in the entire state of Michigan. Now, thanks to ��Ƶ's field research team, scientists know there is at least a second thriving population.

It's one of several remarkable discoveries being made this summer through the Emma Cole Project, a research initiative that is simultaneously preserving the region's ecological future, providing transformative experiences for students, and continuing a scientific story that began 150 years ago.

"This project is a beautiful example of how science builds over time, not only through discoveries, but through generations of people committed to understanding and caring for creation," said Dr. David Warners, professor of biology and director of Plaster Creek Stewards, who leads the project.

Building on a 150-year legacy

The story begins with Emma Cole, a Grand Rapids scientist, educator, and botanist who, in the late 1800s, meticulously documented plant life throughout West Michigan.

Today, ��Ƶ students are following in her footsteps.

For the past several summers, teams of students and faculty have conducted modern botanical inventories throughout Grand Rapids city parks, comparing today's ecosystems with Cole's original observations from 150 years ago.

What started as an academic exercise has evolved into something much larger.

With funding from a U.S. Forest Service grant awarded to Friends of Grand Rapids Parks (FOGRPs), ��Ƶ researchers have spent the past two years helping city leaders understand which parks should be prioritized for preservation, ecological restoration, recreation development, or invasive species management.

Their work provides local decision-makers with the scientific data needed to protect and steward public green spaces for generations to come.

"This is research that directly benefits our community," said Warners. "We're helping city and county leaders make informed decisions about the future of these landscapes."

Discovering hidden ecological treasures

The discoveries have been significant.

Just a couple of weeks ago, at Wabasis Park, ��Ƶ researchers documented three rare native species that had not been seen in Kent County since Emma Cole first described them in the late 1800s:

Swamp gooseberry (Ribes hirtellum)
Red swamp currant (Ribes triste)
Miterwort (Mitella nuda)

The original habitats where Cole documented these plants have long since disappeared due to urban development.

Yet, hidden within today's parks, these species have survived.

At another site, Spencer Forest County Park, students discovered the rare aquatic grass that is now only the second known population in Michigan. Researchers will collect seeds and work to propagate the species to strengthen its future survival.

At the same time, the team is identifying invasive species never before documented in Kent County, giving land managers an opportunity to act before those plants spread and cause broader ecological damage.

Every field season seems to uncover another hidden story.

"We continue to find ecological gems that nobody knew existed," Warners said.

Students doing research that matters

While the discoveries are exciting, the project's greatest impact may be on the students themselves.

Each summer, three ��Ƶ students work alongside faculty members conducting field research throughout West Michigan. They learn how to identify species, collect and analyze data, navigate scientific uncertainty, and communicate findings that have real-world applications.

This isn't simulated classroom work.

Students are co-authors on peer-reviewed publications, contribute to community reports, and gain hands-on experience that often shapes their future careers.

Several former student researchers have gone on to graduate school in botany and related scientific fields.

"They're getting an amazing experience," said Warners. "They're contributing to real science while making a meaningful difference in their own community."

“Learning about Emma Cole in class and then getting to continue her work has been really special,” said Maggie Sytema, senior Spanish and environmental health and conservation major at ��Ƶ. “As someone who loves plants, it's inspiring to carry on the legacy of a female botanist who began this work 150 years ago. It's also exciting to know that we're helping people better understand and care for the parks in our own community while discovering species and habitats many people don't even realize exist.”

The work itself isn't always glamorous.

Long days outdoors, difficult terrain, and clouds of mosquitoes are part of the experience.

But that's also part of the lesson.

Scientific discovery often happens far from laboratories and headlines, in muddy boots, alongside mentors, and through patient observation.

“Being out in the field every day has completely changed the way I think about science,” said Abigail Lindholm, a senior environmental health and conservation major. “We're not just identifying plants; we're helping document biodiversity that can support future conservation efforts throughout our community. It's been an incredible hands-on learning experience that you simply can't replicate in a classroom.”

Partnerships that benefit an entire community

The project also showcases the power of partnerships.

Friends of Grand Rapids Parks, the City of Grand Rapids Parks Department, Kent County Parks, and ��Ƶ have created a model that benefits everyone involved.

“The Kent County Parks Department is incredibly grateful for the partnership with ��Ƶ and the Emma Cole Project,” said Ben Swayze, director of Kent County Parks. “As we plan how to increase and enhance accessibility to our nearly 8,000 acres of parkland, it is important to understand what we need to feature, and what we need to protect.”

The value of the work has become so evident that Kent County Parks has now committed funding for the next two years to expand the inventories across all county parks.

Technology is also expanding the project's reach.

Dr. Peter Quakenbush, a former ��Ƶ student who now serves as an adjunct professor at Grand Valley State University, has incorporated digital tools that make the research accessible to everyone.

Through the iNaturalist app, residents can view species lists, explore photographs, and even contribute their own observations.

Science is no longer confined to academic journals.

It has become a community endeavor.

Living out ��Ƶ's commitment to creation care

At its heart, the Emma Cole Project reflects ��Ƶ's longstanding commitment to sustainability and creation care.

The university isn't simply studying ecosystems; it's investing in the health and resilience of West Michigan's natural spaces while preparing students to become thoughtful stewards of the world around them.

It is a reminder that science is never the work of a single person or a single generation.

Emma Cole began documenting these landscapes 150 years ago.

Today, ��Ƶ students continue her work.

And because of the partnerships being built today, future generations will have an even stronger foundation from which to understand, protect, and care for West Michigan's natural treasures.

One discovery at a time.

Tuesday, June 23, 2026 - 12:00

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John Zimmerman

Liberal arts education expands opportunities for future doctor

msk23@calvin.edu — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 11:34:48 +0000

Liberal arts education expands opportunities for future doctor msk23@calvin.edu Thu, 09/11/2025 - 07:34

Mike Liang came to ��Ƶ with a clear goal: to prepare to become a doctor.

One year in, his goal hasn’t changed, but he says ��Ƶ’s liberal arts education is giving him a broader perspective with direct value-adding benefits to his career path.

“��Ƶ’s approach to education is preparing me well. For example, my professors have recommended I step out of my comfort zone, which for me was science,” said Liang. “Both of my pre-med advisors encouraged me to try a communication class because as a doctor I’ll need to not only present evidence but also communicate with my patients well.”

Out of comfort, into opportunity

So Liang took a communication course in which he not only learned valuable skills, but he also wrote and delivered a speech which was nominated by his communication professor, Kathi Groenendyk, for the Norton Speaker’s Prize. Liang’s persuasive speech was on food waste, where he tried to persuade his audience to take tangible actions to reduce the amount of food waste at ��Ƶ's dining hall. While the judging continues, Norton asked Liang for permission to include his speech video in their collection of exemplary presentations.

“Since I’ve been at ��Ƶ, this has not happened in an oral rhetoric class,” said Groenendyk. “Most textbook publishers choose examples from much larger institutions. I believe this is a unique honor.”

“I never thought a chemistry student would have his speech included in a textbook. I didn’t see how those things fit together,” said Liang.

Equipped with skills that enhance any career path

What Liang is seeing is how the soft skills he’s learning through his liberal arts education directly applies to his field of study.

This past summer at the end of his internship at the Van Andel Institute in downtown Grand Rapids where he did cancer research, Liang had to give both an oral and poster presentation.

“I was able to use the skills I learned in Comm 101 to clearly outline what I was going to talk about in a way that communicated science in simple language for those who are not as familiar with my field,” said Liang. “I feel trained in how to talk to people well, to present clear and concisely, and that will help me in the future.”

Student preparation impresses industry professionals

The principal investigator for Liang’s research project was impressed both with his presentation and also how well he was prepared coming in.

“I took an accelerated general chemistry class at ��Ƶ my first semester and that gave me a step ahead. And then I took analytical chemistry, which exposed me to a lot of different instruments and experimental methods that were relevant to my research at Van Andel,” said Liang. “��Ƶ’s Phage Research program through the biology department taught me valuable lab skills and cultivated my ability to come up with a hypothesis and to design experiments. All of these experiences prepared me well to land the internship.”

So too did Liang’s proximity to his professors.

Surrounded by a community that cares

“I received two recommendation letters for my internship from professors who I took both a lab and lecture with. So, they could speak to both my lab and scientific skills,” said Liang. “I’ve been blown away by how professors care about us and how they are willing to engage in 1-on-1 dialogue with you from everything from faith to science to whatever subject.”

Liang also found the Christ-centered community among his peers and professors to be particularly formative.

“The best thing about my experience so far has been living on the honors floor and the community that is here. I didn’t expect my floor to be this vibrant and this engaged with challenging topics. We have discussions late at night,” said Liang. “And I didn’t expect the professors to be this vibrant, engaging, enthusiastic about what they are teaching.”

“The communities I found at ��Ƶ exceeded my expectations. Being at a Christian college is so important because you have such in depth faith dialogues with your roommates, floormates, and profs,” said Liang. “Students with such busy lives sit down and have meals together and talk about Jesus.”

Thursday, September 11, 2025 - 12:00

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School of Natural Science and Mathematics Summer Research

ld39@calvin.edu — Thu, 28 Aug 2025 20:12:15 +0000

School of Natural Science and Mathematics Summer Research

ld39@calvin.edu Thu, 08/28/2025 - 16:12

School of Natural Science and Mathematics Summer Research

Put Your Wonder to Work

Each summer, ��Ƶ’s School of Natural Science & Mathematics offers nearly 80 students an immersive, hands-on research experience alongside expert faculty mentors.

From human health and environmental stewardship to sustainable materials, science education, public health, and astrophysics, ��Ƶ students pursue questions that matter. Current projects include research on pregnancy-related toxicant-pathogen interactions, rare disease variants, cancer treatment strategies, ecological restoration, wildlife monitoring, sustainable cobalt recycling, AI in chemistry education, public health in Guatemala, coastal dune change, and binary stars.

These experiences cultivate curiosity by inviting students to ask meaningful questions, test ideas, and contribute to real discovery. Along the way, students build employable skills in teamwork, communication, data analysis, problem-solving, scientific writing, and professional presentation.

Summer research also strengthens students’ credentials through mentored experience, technical training, and opportunities to present their work. Whether students pursue immediate post-B.S. employment, graduate study, or professional programs in medicine, health, education, or other fields, ��Ƶ research helps them prepare with confidence, purpose, and practical experiences.

70 - 80

student researchers participate in roughly 40 different projects.

8–10 weeks

of full-time research, with a paid stipend.

100%

of projects are fully funded.

Carnegie Research Classification

��Ƶ’s designation as a Research College and University (RCU) by the Carnegie Classification recognizes what students experience here every day: excellent teaching and active research working together. ��Ƶ is one of only five Council for Christian Colleges & Universities (CCCU) institutions with a Carnegie research classification and leads CCCU institutions in the number of Goldwater Scholars, one of the nation’s top honors for undergraduate researchers in science, mathematics, and engineering.

For students, that means exceptional mentoring, meaningful discovery, and strong preparation for graduate school, professional programs, research careers, and employment after graduation.

You’re not just showing up, doing the work, and leaving. We’re very involved in the scientific process—it’s a perk of being at a small school.

Myles Radersma '26

Biology

Student Research Leads to a Major Discovery

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Student Experience

Community: Share lab spaces, take part in a collaborative culture, and build connections through fun activities.
Mentorship: Partner with faculty mentors and work together daily.
Presentation Experience: Share your findings with fellow scientists and the ��Ƶ community at the Natural Science and Mathematics Summer Research Poster Fair.
Career Impact: Build your resume, prepare for grad school, and maybe even have your research published!

Summer Research Project Highlights

Take a look at some recent or ongoing summer research projects. Picture yourself collecting data, running experiments, and making a real-world impact, all while building skills to launch your future in Natural Sciences and Mathematics!

Curricular Innovation in Culinary Medicine to Standardize Practical Skills and Promote Delicious, Budget-Friendly Whole Foods

Students help strengthen ��Ƶ’s Culinary Medicine course by developing ways to assess healthy eating barriers, whole-food knowledge, budgeting, and recipe modification skills. They also help design and test new nutrition lab modules while building skills in health education, curriculum development, assessment, and evidence-based food science.

Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Assessment on ��Ƶ’s Campus

Students help create, maintain, and monitor native habitats on ��Ƶ’s campus through greenhouse, nursery, and outdoor fieldwork. Sites include meadows, restored forests, and natural areas across campus. Students gain hands-on experience in native plant care, habitat restoration, ecological fieldwork, and physically active outdoor teamwork.

Ecological Restoration in the Plaster Creek Watershed

Students join Plaster Creek Stewards staff on outdoor restoration projects across Grand Rapids, including tree planting, rain gardens, bioswales, invasive species removal, and native plant propagation. Students build teamwork skills while learning ecological restoration and nature-based approaches to stormwater management and climate resilience.

Environmental and Wildlife Surveillance for Emerging Species of Ticks in West Michigan

Students study emerging tick species in West Michigan, including blacklegged, lone star, Gulf Coast, and invasive longhorned ticks. By tracking where these ticks were found and how common they were, students gain experience in wildlife surveillance, data collection, and public health research.

Exploring the Diversity of Rhodococcus-Infecting Bacteriophages

Students study bacteriophages—tiny viruses that infect bacteria—by growing phages that target Rhodococcus bacteria and comparing their DNA patterns. This hands-on lab project helps students explore hidden microbial diversity while building skills in microbiology, DNA analysis, and scientific research.

Flat Iron Lake Coring Project

Students study lake sediments to reconstruct climate and landscape history since the last ice age, using fieldwork, microscopy, and GIS. Includes planning, data analysis, and scientific poster presentations.

Novel Synthetic Routes to Monomers and Functionalized Polymers

Students develop environmentally friendly methods for synthesizing acrylic monomers and polymers, with applications in 3D printing, coatings, and advanced materials. Hands-on lab work and use of advanced analytical equipment.

One Health Surveillance of Blacklegged Ticks and Emerging Pathogens

Students will conduct environmental and molecular surveillance for Powassan virus in West Michigan ticks, collaborating with Michigan State University and Yale School of Public Health. The project addresses emerging infectious diseases and provides experience in fieldwork, molecular biology, and data analysis.

Public Health Assessment in the Guatemalan Cloud Forest

Students travel to Guatemala to conduct health surveys and science experiments, supporting efforts to alleviate poverty and protect forests. Includes data collection, analysis, and community engagement.

Sustainable Cobalt Recycling

Students explore sustainable ways to recycle cobalt from lithium battery waste instead of relying on new mining. Using chromatography, they separate cobalt from other metals and test new purification materials while building skills in chemistry, problem-solving, careful lab work, and sustainable materials research.

Toxicant-Pathogen Interactions During Pregnancy

Students study how a groundwater pollutant called trichloroethylene and a harmful byproduct may affect how immune and pregnancy-related cells respond to infection. Using lab techniques such as cell culture, PCR, ELISA, and western blotting, students build skills in biomedical research, data analysis, and scientific writing.

Unraveling Protein Transport and Sorting in the Endoplasmic Reticulum

Students investigate protein trafficking in cells, collaborating with a physical modeling lab in California. Involves hypothesis generation, experimental design, and data analysis, with opportunities to present at research symposia.

The professors are so intentional about connecting with you as an individual, as a person, and that grows during the research. You are working alongside your professor, not under them.

Aerin Baker '26

Chemistry, 2025 Goldwater Scholar

Trio of ��Ƶ students earn nation’s most prestigious STEM research award

Media Mentions

Unraveling the Tick Puzzle

hp59@calvin.edu — Wed, 13 Aug 2025 14:21:26 +0000

Unraveling the Tick Puzzle hp59@calvin.edu Wed, 08/13/2025 - 10:21

Spark: What research interests or experiences generated the idea for a long-term project focused on tick ecology in west Michigan?

Will Miller: I conducted PhD research with white-tailed deer and wildlife diseases, which got me interested in the connections between wildlife and human health.

The project itself started with a former professor of mine who was building a surveillance network for emerging tick and mosquito-borne diseases in the Great Lakes Region. Basically, she needed somebody to tackle a bunch of deer and pull some ticks off them. I love the idea of wrestling deer, but there’s a far easier way to get ticks than that.

That first summer, student researchers and I discovered there was strong interest in what we were doing, and that eventually led to a collaboration with Michigan State University and Dr. Jean Tsao, who had already been conducting research in this area.

The philosophy that really shapes the project is called the One Health approach, which focuses on understanding the interconnectedness of people, animals, and the environment.

Spark: What is the goal of the project?

Myles Radersma: The original aim of tick surveillance projects like ours was to track the expansion of ticks as they spread up the lakeshore and inland toward Grand Rapids and to understand why that’s happening. That spread is also coinciding geographically with increases in tick-borne diseases.

Will: Surveillance work builds long-term data sets that become a useful frame of reference for other types of scientific questions. Now we’re making deeper investments in community health outreach and education. Ultimately, we want to provide some benefit to the public to help them understand their risk and make educated decisions when they’re outside enjoying the beauty of Michigan’s landscape.

Spark: Have there been any breakthroughs in better understanding population growth or disease spread?

Will: Ticks are common along the lakeshore, but we’ve seen some anomalous trends. For example, many high-density sites are in natural areas along the lake, but we’ve also seen some in urbanized areas. There is growing evidence from our study and others that ticks may be an increasing or previously overlooked concern in more urbanized areas.

More recently, Myles and Jocelyn have started to look at the types of pathogens these ticks are carrying. And it’s not just Lyme disease—the blacklegged tick is also associated with other pathogens of public health interest. Identifying areas where these pathogens may occur and the environmental patterns that lead to their emergence are important aims of their research.

Spark: What methods do you use to collect data?

Jocelyn Nieze: The most common way is called drag sampling, which is essentially dragging a white cloth along the side of a trail and checking it every 20 meters or so. It’s a simple, efficient way to calculate tick population density.

We also do a form of passive surveillance that student researchers introduced a couple of years ago. We call them mice hotels, but the official name is dual-walled insulated nestboxes. When nesting mice preen themselves, ticks fall through the grated floor into a collection tube.

Spark: What roles have students played in the research?

Will: Fourteen students have participated in summer research, with others contributing during the school year. They’ve come from a variety of disciplines: environmental health and conservation, pre-veterinary, pre-med, and public health. The cross-disciplinary nature of what we’re doing gives students opportunities to pursue their own research interests and take the project in new directions.

Myles: You’re not just showing up, doing the work, and leaving, which can happen sometimes in student research. We’re very involved in the scientific process—it’s a perk of being at a small school.

Spark: How does participating in undergraduate student research shape learning?

Will: Research opportunities like this one are really helpful in giving students that competitive edge in their fields. They hone their professional interests and that opens new doors of opportunity for them.

Myles: Originally, I was set on being a doctor, but during my first year at ��Ƶ I realized I wanted to focus more on molecular biology and infectious diseases. Doing this research has really affirmed my choice to follow that path.

Jocelyn: Since working with Professor Miller, I have developed more of an interest in how zoonotic diseases specifically interact with wildlife and animals. I’m applying to vet school now with the hope of working in that space, and that was definitely inspired by my work the last two summers.

Spark: What are some highlights from summer 2025?

Will: The most significant discovery happened in June when Myles, Jocelyn, and fellow student researcher Telo Onyango collected three longhorned tick nymphs during routine surveillance work—the first detection of the invasive species in Michigan. Longhorned ticks pose a specific risk to livestock, so once we shared our discovery, the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development moved quickly to inform the public and develop educational outreach.

Myles: We continued to conduct surveillance of the blacklegged tick populations and diseases associated with this species, like Lyme disease. We worked with experts at several research universities to determine the types of pathogens these ticks carry and how common they are in the population.

Jocelyn: We also built partnerships with veterinarians, agricultural groups, and wildlife professionals to expand surveillance to pets and livestock. Knowing where animals encounter blacklegged ticks helps us track new populations. It was a new idea for the study, so we had to go through the necessary approval processes, and that was a really unique experience, especially learning how to write grant proposals.

Myles: Talking to public health and parks and recreation agencies about public messaging to identify areas of risk for blacklegged ticks as well as being involved in the media outreach for the longhorned tick discovery has been a shift from pure data collection to a push toward community science.

Will: It’s been great for getting the students out there and understanding what applied ecological research looks like.

Monday, August 18, 2025 - 12:00

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��Ƶ researchers contribute to tick science, protect public health

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Student Research Leads to a Major Discovery

msk23@calvin.edu — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 19:17:39 +0000

Student Research Leads to a Major Discovery msk23@calvin.edu Fri, 06/13/2025 - 15:17

On Friday, May 31, Telo Onyango, Jocelyn Nieze, and Myles Radersma were walking along a path in Grand Mere State Park in Stevensville, Michigan. The trio was doing routine tick surveillance efforts as part of their summer research project at ��Ƶ. They were using a method called drag sampling, which consists of dragging a white cloth across the path to determine the presence of ticks in the environment.

While what they were doing was routine—the path they took that day would lead to an unexpected discovery.

“We saw it [a tick that attached to the white cloth] and it looked a bit bigger,” said Radersma, a rising senior studying biology from Kitchener, Ontario. “We thought ‘it’s probably just a weird thing.’ So, we threw it in a vile to check out in the lab.”

Radersma admits he had no clue what it was, but jokingly said ‘watch it be a longhorned tick.’

Taking a closer look

Five days later, the group started to look at the specimen much closer in the lab and started to suspect that they may have indeed found something new.

“We were sitting in the lab, and they asked me to take a look at this tick,” said Dr. Will Miller, the students’ advisor and an assistant professor of biology at ��Ƶ. Miller admits to taking a quick glimpse at it and saying, ‘yep, rabbit tick.’”

The students insisted Miller take a closer look. And so, he did. Miller then thought it would be important to connect the students with Dr. Jean Tsao’s lab at Michigan State University. Dr. Tsao helped to connect the ��Ƶ research team with Dr. Viva Kobbekaduwa, a previous graduate student and public health entomologist for North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, who had previous experience with longhorned ticks. Miller has been collaborating with both Dr. Tsao and Dr. Kobbekaduwa on projects related to tick ecology for the past five years.

Collaborating with academic and agency partners

“At this point, we started to understand the gravity of what we discovered,” said Nieze, a rising senior studying biology on the pre-vet track from Ingleside, Illinois. Once the ticks were suspected to be longhorned ticks, Dr. Tsao connected the research team with state officials, including the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS). “It snowballed fast. We met that same afternoon with those agencies and showed them pictures.”

From there the group connected with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories, who were able to officially verify the identity of what was discovered by the students as the invasive longhorned tick. This marked the first detection of this specimen in the state of Michigan.

“This discovery highlights the value of the contributions from our academic partners and the necessity of our continued collaboration to protect animal health throughout Michigan,” said State Veterinarian Dr. Nora Wineland, DVM, MS, DACVPM. “By knowing this species of tick is in our state, we will increase our educational outreach to producers, animal owners, and animal health professionals so we can all do our part to safeguard animal and public health.”

Students leading the way

The discovery, which was made public on June 13 by MDARD, is huge for the state and while Dr. Miller is the principal investigator on the research project, he’s quick to admit this discovery is the students.

“From point of discovery to identification, to interactions with the state and federal agencies, these students have been not only part of this, but leading the work from that perspective,” said Miller.

While the students were certainly surprised by the discovery, they’ve come to expect to have a key role in the research process—something quite unique to a place like ��Ƶ.

“As students, we’re not just techs that go into the field and then do lab tests. We are there from step one through the entire process,” said Radersma, who has been doing research since his first year at ��Ƶ. “Professor Miller is the PI on this investigation, but we feel like we are also driving members. Professor Miller has guided the connections and helped us with the verification, but we are at every meeting along the way. It’s super cool to see the entire research process—it’s affirmed my choice that this is what I want to do for my career.”

Rising senior Myles Radersma (left) in the field working with Will Miller, assistant professor of biology, on tick research. Photo credit: Christina Anthony

Value of peer mentors

While Radersma and Nieze also researched with Miller last year, Onyango, a transfer student from Kenya, is just weeks into his research experience and already seeing the immense value.

“When I came into this project my goal was to get a little bit of experience working in the field and the lab. At my previous university I did a research project, but it was not quite like this. It was more restrictive. Here, it’s a bit freer. We have instructions, but we go out and learn how to do it,” said Onyango, a junior biology major who transferred to ��Ƶ this year from a university in Kenya. “From day one, Myles and Jocelyn have been instrumental. I came into this project not knowing anything about ticks. I can say they’ve done a great job of bringing me up to speed. This summer experience has cemented my career path.”

While it’ll be hard for the research team to top their recent discovery, they know their summer research project now has statewide implications.

“Typically, when this tick has been found in other states it’s found in veterinary circumstances, usually found on cattle and then reported to the state or federal agencies,” said Miller. “We found this during active surveillance, which means we may have caught this early, and that’s the goal. This touches on the importance of the continued work of these three students and the significance of the work the additional 11 students at ��Ƶ have done since this project started back in 2020.”

Friday, June 13, 2025 - 12:00

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Telo Onyango and Jocelyn Nieze are two of the three ��Ƶ students responsible for discovering the invasive Longhorned Tick at Grand Mere State Park.

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Trio of ��Ƶ students earn nation’s most prestigious STEM research award

msk23@calvin.edu — Wed, 02 Apr 2025 11:25:49 +0000

Trio of ��Ƶ students earn nation’s most prestigious STEM research award msk23@calvin.edu Wed, 04/02/2025 - 07:25

Aerin Baker (Saugatuck, Mich.), Maggie Grabill (Ada, Mich.), and Ava Tatko (Grand Rapids, Mich.) have been named 2025 Goldwater Scholars. The scholarship, awarded by the Barry M. Goldwater Foundation, is widely considered to be the most prestigious award for undergraduate students in the natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering in the United States.

More than 1,300 students from 445 schools applied for the award, but only 441 students received it. This marks the second straight year that three ��Ƶ students earned the distinction.

“To have multiple students most years earning this distinction is a testament to the strength of our students and the strength of our research programs here at ��Ƶ,” said Chris Hartemink, professor of engineering and ��Ƶ’s campus representative for the scholarship.

Personalized research experiences

Common to all three students’ experience is they were invited into research during their first year at ��Ƶ. One thing they discovered was they would have incredible access to their professors and be seen as partners in the research.

“The professors are so intentional about connecting with you as an individual, as a person, and that grows during the research,” said Baker, a junior studying chemistry. “You are working alongside your professor, not under them.”

“Whenever I had advice to give or a research-related question to ask I could walk into my research advisor’s office anytime and sit down and have a conversation,” said Tatko, a junior studying engineering with an energy, environmental and sustainability concentration. “At a larger university, where you have more of an impersonal relationship, that is not an option.”

Impressive outcomes

While the students have felt like partners in the research, their names being listed as co-authors alongside their professors in major journal articles validate that feeling.

“We’ve published four papers and we are working on a fifth now,” said Baker, who also presented her research at the American Chemical Society’s National Meeting in Denver, Colorado this past summer. “My advisor [Professor Doug Vander Griend] and I are also working on a collaboration with a university in France.”

Grabill, a chemical engineering and chemistry double major is only a sophomore, yet she already has two publications to her name.

As for Tatko, she’s already seeing the tangible benefits of her research on a global scale. She’s been working on getting a manuscript published about centralized chlorination for rural communities in the Andean mountains in Ecuador. While she says the water disinfection systems in the U.S. are well proven, they aren’t necessarily available to other countries because of material needs and regulation restrictions.

“So, the engineering department at ��Ƶ is partnering with an engineering and missions organization in Ecuador and we are working with them to do design for specific communities. So, I have been organizing and doing design for 18 different communities over six years of data and organizing that into a formalized paper to get it published to share the design so others can do it for other countries.”

Practical applications

In Spring 2024, Tatko got to travel with her research advisor and two other student researchers to install the design they had created as a prototype in their lab during her first year of summer research.

“It was so very interesting to have my research directly applicable. It was novel research, and we then had the opportunity to install it and do ‘real engineering’ and work with the community and make sure they knew how to do maintenance and installation themselves so they could operate it once we had returned to the U.S.,” said Tatko.

Support leads to success

While Baker, Grabill and Tatko realize the research experiences they received at ��Ƶ helped them earn the prestigious Goldwater award, they also credit their professors and advisors who invested countless hours to help their students stand out amongst their peers.

“All the applicants worked closely with Professor Hartemink during the month of January to do essay writing and drafts and reviews and to make sure this application was as polished as it could be,” said Tatko.

“I had been told as a sophomore you’ll put your best foot forward, but know that you can’t be as competitive as the juniors because you only have one year of experience,” said Grabill. “So, I thought I’d be applying next year. But I’m super grateful that despite the odds, Professor Hartemink and other professors at ��Ƶ had enough confidence in me to take the time to write letters of recommendation.”

“I think ��Ƶ provided me a lot of support to win the Goldwater,” said Tatko. “My application wouldn’t have been as strong without Chris Hartemink’s and Julie Wildschut’s, my research advisor, guidance and support throughout the process.”

Made the right decision

While the three still have time to decide their next step after ��Ƶ, one thing they all agree on: they made the right choice in coming to ��Ƶ.

“100%! I thought my idea of research was pretty solid coming in, but as I’ve gone through ��Ƶ, it’s a lot deeper than I originally thought. You get to connect with so many people, collaborate not just in your own lab, but across departments and with people from other schools who have knowledge of what you are working on,” said Baker. “��Ƶ is a great place in the research community and a lot of great opportunities come out of that.”

“I don’t think I’d be where I am if I wasn’t at ��Ƶ. I think it’s been a really great experience,” said Grabill.

“The longer I’m at ��Ƶ the more grateful I am that I chose to come here,” said Tatko. “It’s really worked out for me in every sense I wanted.”

Interested in learning more about ��Ƶ and the opportunities available to you? Get started.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 - 12:00

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Chemistry professor Doug Vander Griend researches alongside Aerin Baker '26. At ��Ƶ, students have opportunities to work 1-on-1 with professors on important research projects. Baker's research experience has already led to co-authoring multiple papers for journals and presenting at a national conference.

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Carnegie Classification recognizes ��Ƶ’s commitment to research

msk23@calvin.edu — Tue, 18 Feb 2025 13:46:48 +0000

Carnegie Classification recognizes ��Ƶ’s commitment to research msk23@calvin.edu Tue, 02/18/2025 - 08:46

Excellent teaching or robust research and scholarship.

“It’s not either/or at ��Ƶ,” said David Wunder, dean for faculty development and research initiatives. “It’s both/and.”

Those words by Wunder are being backed up by some of the most respected third-party evaluators of higher education.

Lauded for research and teaching

This week, the Carnegie Classification gave ��Ƶ the designation of Research College and University (RCU). To receive this designation, the university’s research expenditures must average more than $2.5 million per year over a three-year period.

This comes on the heels of the university being listed by U.S. News & World Report as the best university for undergraduate teaching in its Regional Universities Midwest category.

“Receiving these external validations is significant,” said Wunder. “While teaching is a top priority of our faculty, research and scholarship makes our faculty sharper, more current, and it absolutely enlivens their classrooms. Research informs teaching.”

Research informs teaching

“It seems like the more I dive into research and investigation, the richer my classroom teaching is because I bring fresh insights and excitement into the classroom from the hard work of research,” said Jason VanHorn, director of the Master of Science in GIScience program.

Jason VanHorn is one of the many professors at ��Ƶ who partner with students on exciting and important research projects.

One of VanHorn’s research projects involves helping incarcerated persons returning to society to flourish.

“It is a thrilling thing to dive deep into the geographic literature or the pursuit of building a mapping application for restorative justice and have my students come alongside me in the classroom gaining that knowledge and skill,” said VanHorn. “The more that I am able to engage in research the better instructor I am for my students.”

“The real-life stories of conducting research in the community inform my teaching and preparation of our students for future research as nurse scientists and their knowledge of reproductive health content addressed in my scholarship,” said Adejoke Ayoola, dean of the school of health, whose research focuses on promoting the reproductive health of women of childbearing age and healthy birth outcomes.

Benefits beyond the classroom

While students reap the classroom benefits of their professors being active researchers and scholars, many students also have the opportunity to partner with their professors on research, which leads to some impressive outcomes.

“Through the regular financial support of the National Science Foundation, my research has led to six patents and over 40 publications with 36 undergraduate co-authors,” said Doug Vander Griend, professor of chemistry and director of the Clean Water Institute.

One of Vander Griend’s former students, Nathanael Kazmierczak ’20, was named both a Beckman and Goldwater Scholar and became one of just 12 students in the nation to earn a prestigious Hertz Fellowship.

During his undergraduate years at ��Ƶ, Nathanael Kaczmierczak '20 (center) received an award at the American Chemical Society conference.

“My ��Ƶ education gave me the research experience and interdisciplinary training that propelled me to a successful graduate career. Through work with Prof. Douglas A. Vander Griend, I learned what it means to take ownership of a research project and see it through to completion. Many undergraduate students at large schools work as peripheral assistants to graduate students and postdocs, but in the liberal arts environment at ��Ƶ, the undergraduates are main researchers in the lab to get the project done. This experience is exceptionally valuable for graduate school, where one is judged less by one’s classroom knowledge and more by one’s ability to conceptualize and execute a scientific study.”

While students in the STEM fields have access to a plethora of research opportunities at ��Ƶ, so too do their peers across various disciplines.

“Most liberal arts colleges have research in the sciences, it’s less common to have research covering the humanities, arts, and social sciences, and most summers we have a full range of research in those areas,” said Mark Bjelland, chair of the geology, geography, & environment department and former administrator of the McGregor Research Program at ��Ƶ. “Most of my student researchers have presented their work at a regional geography conference, and a few have won cash prizes.”

As an undergraduate student at ��Ƶ studying sociology, Emily Steen '23 was selected as one of three recipients nationwide to receive the prestigious Hatfield Prize for her groundbreaking research project with Professor Mark Mulder.

“Some of the research papers I co-authored with students are papers I assign in my classes,” said David Warners, professor of biology, whose research centers on west Michigan’s most contaminated watershed and what needs to be done to help the creek that runs through it to become healthy again. “I think students pay closer attention when they know a study was done here locally and that it was done by people at ��Ƶ. It also helps them realize scientific research is something they could do if they wanted.”

Always on mission

Regardless of whether faculty are engaging students directly with their research or using their discoveries to benefit their students and broader communities, the work they are doing is deeply rooted in the university’s mission.

“We are made in the image of God, and part of that image is the ability to understand the world that is God’s creation,” said Mark Muyskens, professor of chemistry, who researches the physical and chemical properties of substances produced by plants that glow in the dark. “Research and scholarship satisfy the curiosity about how things work and making sense of what we observe in the natural world. Often that understanding aids in taking care of people and the environment.”

“Part of ��Ƶ’s vision is to promote the welfare of the city and the healing of the world,” said Ayoola. “Nursing research based on a community-based participatory research approach helps to address identified health problems in our community. So, nursing interventions designed based on resident-driven solutions promote the health of the families in our city.”

“The reformed tradition of Christianity emphasizes the importance of God’s creation and our responsibility to care for it,” said Warners. “To care for creation well, we need to understand how creation works. Research helps us better understand creation, which leads to deeper appreciation and affection for God’s world.”

Tuesday, February 18, 2025 - 12:00

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Every year, dozens of professors partner with more than 100 students on research projects that span all STEM fields and the humanities, arts, and social sciences.

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Discovering Community and Space Dust

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 14:49:40 +0000

Discovering Community and Space Dust Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 07/26/2024 - 10:49

With a trowel in one hand and a bucket in the other, Zach Guikema walks along the roofline of the Prince Conference Center. He’s collecting space dust.

“It’s called urban micrometeorite collection,” said Guikema, a geology major, who is about to start his junior year at ��Ƶ. “We are trying to find small particles of dust that come from space. They start small, enter our atmosphere, melt, and then recrystallize as they cool down. They fall on roads, trees, and where I’m looking for them: roofs.”

Finding Community and Opportunity

What Guikema’s doing has never been done at ��Ƶ before. But his path to discover this opportunity is par for the course. When he was looking at colleges and universities, he was drawn to ��Ƶ because of the community. He would soon see how through community he would discover opportunity.

It started in his residence hall, where he got involved in dorm life early on and by his sophomore year he had become the residence hall executive team president, helping plan events for his hall.

He would also find community and opportunity in his area of study. In fact, in his first semester at ��Ƶ, he was already doing research through FYRES—a program specifically designed to give first-year students research experience right out of the gate.

“I was doing dune research my freshmen year. You won’t find that anywhere else,” said Guikema. “I learned how to do good research, how to go out into the field and take good notes, how to apply what I am learning in my lectures out in the field, and what we do as geologists.”

At the end of the semester, Guikema and his group, which included a few other first year students, had to write up and present their research. “That course overall gave me good insight of what’s to come here at ��Ƶ and what’s expected of me.”

For Guikema, it would only get better.

Going Deeper

“As my courses have ramped up in difficulty, it’s been quite interesting to learn more and more and it draws me in more,” said Guikema. “It’s also been so good to be in a department where it’s such a tight-knit community. You know everybody and the profs get down on your level and you have good conversations and learn more effectively because of that.”

The other result of these relationships? Opportunities, like going up on a roof searching for space dust.

“This wasn’t even my idea,” said Guikema. “I took a course with Professor Ratajeski last fall, and he saw something in me and invited me to join him in this project that he wanted to do this summer.

“It’s an interesting project and I’m happy to be part of it because this kind of work has only been a real thing for about nine or ten years,” said Guikema. “No one on campus has ever done this.”

Discovering Together

The goal of Guikema and Ratajeski’s project, which is funded by the Michigan Space Grace Consortium (with additional funds provided by the Dice Foundation), is to establish the first collection of micrometeorites on ��Ƶ’s campus and to improve collection methods. The novelty of the project has the two learning together.

“The only real resources we have are maybe a dozen papers and a couple of people in the world who know what they are doing,” said Guikema. “So, it’s been really good to have that close relationship with Dr. Ratajeski, to be able to ask good questions and bounce ideas and questions off each other and learn more as a result.”

With a depth of community now formed at ��Ƶ, Guikema is ready to begin the second half of his college journey.

“I’ve enjoyed it all, but am getting into the good stuff now,” said Guikema.

To date, Guikema has found 10 micrometeorites.

Wednesday, July 17, 2024 - 12:00

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Zach Guikema organizing plastic ziplock bags full of remnants from the rooftops. To date, he's discovered 10 micrometeorites.

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A Summer Full of Stem Research

Anonymous — Fri, 26 Jul 2024 14:22:52 +0000

A Summer Full of Stem Research Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 07/26/2024 - 10:22

When the spring semester winds down, research at ��Ƶ ramps up. Every year, dozens of faculty work with nearly 100 students in STEM fields to create new knowledge.

Students are digging into everything from the potential effects of climate on ecology of disease-carrying ticks to understanding how AI tools can help writers revise; exploring whale behavior changes in response to military sonar operations and the roles of endothelial cells on HIV-1 infection in T helper cells; creating botanical inventories of Grand Rapids parks and researching contact binary stars.

“We have a bigger research program going on compared to many of our peers,” said Arlene Hoogewerf, dean of STEM at ��Ƶ.

While the volume of students involved and the variety of research projects available in the sciences is impressive, what differentiates ��Ƶ even further is the environment where this research takes place.

Partners in the lab

“Many faculty are at ��Ƶ five days a week over the summer. And they are interacting with their student researchers 2-3 hours per day,” said Hoogewerf. “For most students researching in the sciences, there’s quite a lot of faculty-student interaction that’s going on.”

Hoogewerf says at ��Ƶ professors aren’t just saying “here’s the project, go for it,” and neither are they simply using students to move their research forward. Instead, Hoogewerf says the goal of summer research is two-fold: to help students discern if research is something they want to continue on into grad school and beyond and to provide students with opportunities that both build up their research capabilities and their resume.

“Through their research experience, some students find that they are so inspired and love the work, and then there’s some that say ‘oh, this isn’t for me, I should go in another direction.’ Either way, that’s a valuable learning experience for them to have at the undergraduate level,” said Hoogewerf.

Building community, discovering opportunity

Regardless of whether a student decides to continue in a research career or not, they find two things to be invaluable: the community that’s formed and the opportunities they are afforded.

“Typically, students aren’t working in isolation, so faculty either has more than one student or within the department there are multiple students doing research. So, students are seeing the same people with them in the lab throughout the summer and getting to know one another,” said Hoogewerf.

Besides the everyday interactions that happen in the lab, all of the student researchers in the sciences gather weekly for an ice cream social and each department has their own regular cadence of gatherings as well.

Students also find that while they are building community, they are also discovering opportunities that will set them apart when they graduate and either go onto grad school or enter their field.

“When students get summer research experience at ��Ƶ, they are gaining skills in various lab techniques,” said Hoogewerf. “It’s also possible for some of the students to have their work published in peer-reviewed journals as co-authors and to give presentations at regional and national conferences.”

Monday, June 24, 2024 - 12:00

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Esther Yoo doing summer research at ��Ƶ in 2023.

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